Sabres select two centers in first round of draft

The Sabres came to Pittsburgh for the NHL draft hoping to eliminate the glaring need they had at center. They accomplished their mission quickly.

Buffalo pulled the trigger on the one player 11 teams refused to select, getting highly touted Russian Mikhail Grigorenko with the 12th overall pick. Many teams have feared the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder will bolt for the Kontinental Hockey League of his homeland, but the Sabres gambled that his talent is worth the risk.

Grigorenkov, ranked as the third overall North American by NHL Central Scouting, had 40 goals and 85 points in 59 games with Quebec of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

"Obviously, we wanted to try to improve our forward position," said Kevin Devine, the Sabres' director of amateur scouting. "We had four or five names we were looking at it, with Grigorenko being the guy we were keying on."

The Sabres shipped the 21st and 42nd overall picks to Calgary for the 14th selection, and they used it on center Zamgus Girgensons. The bullish, 6-foot-2, 198-pounder had 24 goals and 55 points in 49 games with Dubuque of the United States Hockey League.

"The fans of Buffalo will love this guy," Devine said. "He just will not quit."

Said general manager Darcy Regier: "The center position is a very important position, not just with us but around the league. To acquire two centers, two different type centers, is good."

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NHL Team Report - Buffalo Sabres - NOTES, QUOTES

--One of the most popular members of the Sabres has never played a game. Rick Jeanneret, however, has been calling them as Buffalo's play-by-play man since 1971. Already a member of the team's hall of fame, Jeanneret has been named one of 14 members of the Class of 2012 for the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. "The fans of Western New York have always meant an awful lot to me," Jeanneret said, "and they've conveyed to me that I mean something to them. When I get an honor like this, it's really taken to heart."

--The Sabres declined to offer contracts to three members of their 2010 draft class by June 1, thereby sending the trio back into this year's selection process. Buffalo opted not to keep center Steven Shipley and wingers Gregg Sutch and Cedrick Henley by Friday's deadline. The Sabres selected Shipley in the fourth round, Sutch in the fifth and Henley in the sixth.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I've played for coaches that have been harder on you. I've played for coaches that have been not as hard. I think it's up to the players to find their game and find their level of confidence." -- D Christian Ehrhoff following his first season under coach Lindy Ruff.

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NHL Team Report - Buffalo Sabres - ROSTER REPORT

DRAFT ADDITIONS:

--C Mikhail Grigorenko (first round, No. 12) has the skill set to play in the NHL immediately. The 6-foot-3 playmaker, who had 40 goals and 85 points in 59 games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, will compete for the third line next season in Buffalo.

--C Zamgus Girgensons (first round, No. 14) has the never-say-quit attitude that players for the Sabres have lacked. The forward will hone his skills for the University of Vermont before joining the Sabres.

FREE AGENT FOCUS: The Sabres will get plenty of cap relief this summer. The contracts for center Jochen Hecht ($3.5 million) and right wing Brad Boyes ($4 million) are expiring. They are unlikely to return. Center Tyler Ennis, who had 34 points in 48 games, will need to be re-signed from restricted free agency.

PLAYER NOTES:

--LW Thomas Vanek failed to lead the Sabres in goals for the first time in six seasons. A second-half tailspin did him in. Through the opening 40 games, he put up 19 goals and 40 points to rank near the top of the NHL. In the final 38 games, Vanek scored just seven times and recorded 21 points. "I feel like I can be a top-25 scorer in this league and I was on that pace," Vanek said. "I dropped off, so for me it's get back to that level and stay on it all year long. I think if I can do that, this team is going to succeed."

--C Paul Szczechura has decided to take his talents to Europe. Szczechura, who had a goal and four points in nine games with the Sabres, has signed to play in the KHL with HC Lev of the Czech Republic. Szczechura had 21 goals and 25 assists in 57 games with the Sabres' minor league affiliate in Rochester during his only year with the organization.

--G Jhonas Enroth played two games for host Sweden at the world championships. He went 0-2 with a 2.50 goals-against average and .868 save percentage. Enroth went 8-11-4 with a 2.70 GAA and .916 save percentage in his first full season as Buffalo's backup.

MEDICAL WATCH:

--D Tyler Myers ended the season with a broken foot. He should be fine by the start of next season.

--D Christian Ehrhoff missed the final five games with a knee injury. He was not expected to need surgery.

--LW Jochen Hecht missed the final 34 games with his third concussion in 12 months. The 34-year-old does not plan to retire.